Assig-istoh



Vv; E. ANDREE.

mamma Aw Mal-ME :EMULE MECH/mism Fore GARMENT PMSSES.

lueuted Jaun 17, 1922.

N VE N TOR w. E, ANURE. Y LOCKING AND RELEASE THEADLE MEcHAmsM ma Hamam PRESSES, APPLUJAHON FILED NOV. 8. |919. i

, Y r1 (L, .s 1,403,826 Paieuted Jau. 11, 1322.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

'WILLIAM E. ANDRE, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 'FEE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY COMPANY, OF NOR/WOOD, OHIO; A CORPORATON OF OHIO.

LOCKING .AND RELEASE v'1113.13ABLE EIECEL'LNISM FOR GAR-MENU! PRESSES.

Specicalion of Letters Patent. Patented Jail. 1'?, 1922.

Application led November 8, 191D.. Serial No. 336,573.

To all 'Lo/om t may conceive:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. ANDRE, a citizen of the Unite-:l States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and uscful Improvements in Locking and Release Treadle Mechanism for Garment Presses, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to garment presses of the type employing' an upper pressing member or head cooperatively related to e bed or garment support, relative pressing movement between said members being produced by a foot treadle. Morespeciically the invention relates to the locking and release treadle mechanism for such presses.

The object of the invention is to provide improved mechanism for locking and releasing the pressure treadle together with means operable at will for rendering the locking and release mechanism ineifective to thereby secure free movement of the pressure treadle without any effect thereon by the locking or release mechanism, and other mechanism for restoring the parts to eiiective position.

Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawings, which represent one suitable embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the press closed with the treadle mechanism locked; Fig. 2 is a detail sectional plan view on the line 2-2, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail sectional elevation ofthe free motion treadle mechanism, the section being taken substantially on the line 3 3, Fi 6; Fig. e is a side elevation of the tread e mechanism with the top of the press broken away, the pressure treadle being shown in release position; Fig. 5 isa front view thereof; Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation on the line 6 6, Fig. 5; and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the treadle mechanism, showing the free movement treadle in operative position.

Since the present invention relates entirely to the locking and release mechanism and its cooperative relation to the operating member or pressure treadle of the press the particular form or arrangement of the press or of itsoperating mechanism is not material. For purposes of illustration, however, the press and its operating mechanism are illustrated and described as of the form shown, described and claimed in my copending application for garment press, lfiled of even date herewith, Serial No. 336,575. Briefly described so far as description is necessary for the present application, the press comprises ai'rame 1 carrying a stationary bed or garment support 2and on an upwardly extending post 3 on which frame is pivotally mounted a. swinging lever carry- 111g an upper pressing member or head 4. lhe swinging lever comprises two members 5 and 6 pivoted together at 7, adjustable relatively to each other by the screw '8 and connected to suitable'meansfor opening' the press, such as tension springs 9. The press closingV mechanism comprises a pressure treadle 10 nivoted to the frame at`11 and provided with the foot plate 12, said treadle eing connected by a link 13 to one arm 14 of a lever pivotcd at 15 inthe frame, the other arm 16 of said lever serving as one member of a toggle which is pivotally connected at 17 to a tog le linlr 18 connected at its other end to the ower end of member G. When the treadle is depressed the toggle 1G, 18 is straightened and pressure is applied to a garment or anyV other work lying etwecn the pressing members.

The locking and release treadle mechanism forming the subject matter of the resent inventionhas for its purpose to loc the pressure treadle 12 in its depressed position, enable said treadle to be released when desired, together with a.A special 'operating member, such'as a treadle, which can be depressed or otherwise operated to render the loclring'and release treadle mechanism ineffective. This mechanism will now be described.

On the front portion of the frame is mounted a bracket or support 19 to which is pivoted at 2()` a locking lever 21, the up- 'per arm 22 of which is `pressed outwardly by the-compression Spring 23, and the lower arm 24 of which is provided on one side with a. rib 25 having an inclined cam surface 26, a longitudinal surface 27 and a transverse bottom toe portion 28. The pressure treadle 10 on one side is provided with a pin 29 carrying an anti-friction member, such as a roller 30. When the pressure trcadle is depressed this roller engages the cum surface 26, pushes out the lower arm of the locking lever and passes alon the straight surface 2T until said roller 1s beyoud the toe 28, which thereupon springs in above the roller 30 so as to positively lock the pressure treadle in its depressed position, as shown in Fig. l.

The locking lever 2l has pivoted to one side thereof, as at 3l, a release treadle 32 provided with a foot plate 33, a. rearwardly extending release lug Bil, a stop adapted in one position, shown in Fig. 6, to engage anl abutment 36e-n the front of the lever 2l and in a second position, shown in Fig. 7, to engage a second abutment 37 on a forward ctension 3S of lever 2l, and is also provided with an upwardly extending arm 39 provided with a finger 40.

In release position 4of the press the release treadle 32 drops to its lowest position with its lug` 34; beneath the toe of the locking lever. As the roller 30 on the pressure treadle moves to its locked position and passes the end of lever 2l it reaches a position directly behind the 'end of the lug 34, so that when the locking lever 2l moves rearwardly to locking position above the roller the lug 3ft prevents rearward motion of the lower end of the release treadle. Consequently said treadle swings about its pivot in the counter clockwise direction, Fig. 6, to the position shown in Fig. l. In this position with the lug ll abutting the roller 30 the lower arm of the release treadle may be made to function as a toggle member with the lower arm of lever 2l. Pressure on the foot plate of the release treadle there- 'fore straiglitens said toggle and pulls out the lower arm of lever 21 until finally the roller 30 is released 'from the toc 28 and moves upwardly along the surfaces 2T and 26 until the press is fully released. While said roller moves along Surface 26 the lociing lever gradually moves in to its normal position1 leaving the parts in the position shown in Fig. 4. This arrangement enables heavy release pressure to be applied for unlocking and releasing the press. lVhen the locking and release mechanism is employed the parts of the operating mechanism 'for the pressing head are so adJusted, such as by adjusting the lengths of links 13 and 18, or

by adjustment of the screw S, that the toggle' 1G, 18 does not quite fully straighten when the press is locked. Consequently the springs 9 immediately tend to open the press when the pressure treadle is released.

The free motion treadle mechanism comprises parts as follows:

On a stationary bracket or support 4l is pivoted the free motion treadle 42, which is normally held in its upper position by a tension spring 43 extending from said lever to a fixed support, as at 44. This spring extends along one side of the lever and is above the pivot oi' the lever when the lever is in its upper position. The front end of the spring moves down with the lever So that when said lever is in its lowest position its tension is exerted below the lever pivotso that the spring always tends to hold'the levei` i-n its up er or lower position, as the case may be. lever 42 is provided with a short arm 45 whichnormally contacts an abutment 46 on the bracket 41 to limit upward lever motion. It also carries a free swinging wedge member 47, best shown in Fies. 4 and V et us assume `that the press is in release position, as shown in Fig. 4. It the free motion treadle 42 is depressed, the wedge 4'( isforced downwardly into, position between a roller 48 carried by the pivot of vthe release treadle 32 and a'fixed portion of the frame until the parts reach, the position shown in Fig. 7. At the same time the free motion treadle engages the finger l0 of the releasetreadleand tilts said treadle outwardly until its lug 35 contacts the abutment 37. In this position of the part-s the locking lever l21 is wholly removed from the path of movement of the roller 30 on the pressure treadle A10.4 Conseouently said pressure treadle can be mover up and down without alfectingor ybeing ait'ected by the lockingl or release mechanism. The `lire-e motion t-readleis therefore useful wheneverV it desirable to operate the press without locking-thc pressing treadle, a condition frequently 4met within this art. ,When it is desired to cause the locking and release mechanism to resume its func-tions therelease treadle 32 is depressed, and the tilting motion of said treadle raises the finger flO, tilts the free motion treadle l2 upwardly and withdraws the wedge from its position between the roller 4S and frame, lwhereupon the spring 23 restores the locking lever to its original positiomall parts thereupon functioning as before.

The free motion treadle can be operated with the press either open orclosed. If the press is open operation of the free motion treadle merely moves the locking arm 2l out to itsrinoperating or ineffective position. ll' the press is,A closed and the .pressure treadle is locked operation of the free motion treadle not only moves the arm 21 to its inoperative position but also releases the pressure treadle which immediately swings upwardly.

The invention is of course not limited to use with garment presses but may be applied to any machine where a machine part is operated by some movable operating member and it is desirable to lock and release the operating member or to permit it to operate with free motion.

What I claim is:

l. The combination with a movable pressing member and an operating member therefor, of yielding means located on a relatively stationary part operated by movement lOl] llO

of said operating member for locking the same against movement, and means also located on a relatively stationary part for rendering said locking means ineffective.

2. The combination with a movable pressing member and an operating' member therefor, of means for locking said operating member against movement, a release member for said lookin means, and means eiective upon both sai lookin means and release member and ada ted w en operated to move the same to ine ective position.

3..The combination with pressing member and an operating member therefor, of a yielding loc ing member for said operating member located on Va relatively stationary part, and amovable release member carried by said locking member.-

4. The combination with a movable pressing member and an operating member therefor', of a swinging locking member -for said operating member, and a release member pivoted to said locking member, and having a iortion abutting a relatively fixed part, Where y said locking and release members function as toggle mechanism for the release operation.

5. In a garment press, relatively movable pressing members, operating means therefor, means for locking tie press in closed position, and toggle means for releasing said locking means.

(i, Ina garment press, relatively movable pressing members, operating means therefor, means for locking the press in closed position, releasing means for said locking means and a foot treadle for rendering said locking means ineffective.

T. ln a garment press, relatively movable pressingmembers, operating means therefor, means for locking the press in closed position, toggle release means for said locking means, and means for rendering said locking a movable' means ineffective, said last named means being adapted for operation by said toggle release means.

8. ln a garment press, relatively movable pressingr members, a treadle for actuating the same. a movable member for locking said treadie, and a release treadle pivoted thereto.

9. ln a garment press` relatively movable pressing members, a treadle for actuating the same, a movable member for 'locking said treadle, a release treadle pivoted thereto, and a free motion treadle adapted when operated to render said locking means ineffective.

10. In a garment press, relatively movable pressing members. a treadle for actuating the same, a movable member for locking said treadle, a release treadle pivoted thereto, and a free motion treadle adapted when operated to render said locking means ineffective, said free motion treadle being so arranged that when actuated it moves said release treadle to a new position for actuation to restore -the parts to operative condition.

11. A garment press, comprising relatively movable pressing members, a treadle adapted when actuated to produce pressure there between, a yieldable swinging locking member i'or said pressure treadle, and a free motion treadle cooperating with said locking lever and adapted when aetuated to render the same ineffective.

1Q. A garment press, comprising relativel) movable pressing members, a treadle adapted when actuated to prodnee pressure therebetween. a vieldable swinging locking member for said pressure titeadle, a free motion treadle cooperating with said locking lever and adapted when actuated to render the same ineffective` and means for restoring said free mnt ion tremlle to initial position.

in testimony whereof l uiliX my signature.

XVILLIAM lil. ANDRE. 

